George Orwell presents… The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical (ol-i-gar-kick-al) Collectivism Or: “How to stop crafting a nuanced piece of fiction and cram in your own philosophical principles with all the subtlety of a tap-dancing rhinoceros.”

Ahhh… Chapter 9 of 1984! Where Orwell presents an excerpt from Emmanuel Goldstein’s book. Where the author presents his most overt philosophical beliefs on society, politics, and the history of organized government. Where readers ask themselves, “Can this be true?” and “What does it mean?” and “How many marshmallows can I fit in my mouth?”

Oli…what?! Oligarchy: Political power effectively rests with a small elite segment of society Collectivism: A term used to describe any moral, political, or social outlook that stresses human interdependence and the importance of a collective group

Some working definitions of -isms… You’ll just heart them! Capitalism: An economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations. Socialism: A socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community.

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Let’s start with where Orwell got his ideas. Das Kapital by Karl Marx The Managerial Revolution by James Burnham Hitler’s Germany

Das Kapital by Karl Marx Orwell was heavily influenced by Marx’s Das Kapital, a criticism of capitalism. Marx explained capitalism exploits and alienates - "the degradation of labor". Marx describes history in terms of classes: the upper class—who control the means of production—and the lower class—who trade their labor for access to the means. We see the classes in 1984.

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The Managerial Revolution by James Burnham Burnham argued that capitalism was fading, but socialism was not taking its place. Instead, a complex system of super-nations (corporations) were becoming the new organizers of society. These super-states will fight among themselves for possession of the remaining uncaptured portions of the earth, but will probably be unable to conquer one another completely. Internally, each society will be leveled, with an aristocracy of talent at the top and a mass of semi-slaves at the bottom.

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Hitler’s Nazi Germany Orwell was deeply disturbed by the efficiency and success of Nazi Germany. He based many facets of 1984 on its example, including: The attempts to control the populace through reinvention of language, family units, and even historical details. The use of sophisticated propaganda against a largely innocuous or invented adversary to create patriotic fury in the masses. The use of an oppressive and often secret police (Gestapo) to enforce internal threats to the lower party.

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Now… on to Chapter 9! The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength

Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength This pattern never changes. And thus, history unfolds in the following pattern: Throughout history, there have been three kinds of people: The High, The Middle, and The Low. The goals of each group are entirely irreconcilable. The Middle want to switch places with The High. The High remain in power for a time, until they lose faith in themselves, or their ability to rule efficiently, or both. The High wish to remain High… er, in power, that is. They are overthrown by the Middle, who enlist the Low by pretending to be fighting for liberty or justice or some other cause. Thus, the Middle become the new High, while a new Middle develops, and the Low remain in their previous position. The Low—when they have a goal—wish to establish a society where there are no class distinctions. Kill the rich! Kill the rich! Poop On You! Liberty, Equality, Fraternity

Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength The entire function of Ingsoc, the ruling party of Oceania, is to ensure that Ingsoc never loses power. To that end, the party utilizes a variety of techniques: Inbred Crimestop Doublethink A constantly changing past Perpetual Warfare

Chapter 1: Ignorance is Strength Indeed, shaping the ideal citizen is part of Ingsoc’s agenda. Are you the perfect citizen? Do you… ...Prevent crimes by being so stupid or feeble-minded that you are no longer capable of revolutionary thought? …Practice doublethink– the process of holding two contradictory beliefs at the same time and believing both? …Wordlessly accept a constantly revised description of past events that almost always negate your own experiences?

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No one superpower is strong enough to conquer the other two. Chapter 3: War is Peace In Goldstein’s world, there are three superpowers: Kerpow! Eurasia No one superpower is strong enough to conquer the other two. Thus, the goal of warfare is not to win, but to continuously use up the surplus of a society without actually raising the standard of living. And so, the business of society becomes not protecting the interests of the governed, but a sustainable, perpetual state of warfare. Oceania Boom! Boom! Eastasia

Chapter 3: War is Peace • First, war eats up any surplus materials. If you have these lying around, sooner or later the lower classes are going to ask for them. Why fight a never-ending war? Oh, I’m so glad you asked! • Second, it encourages people to hand authority over to a hierarchy. Threatened by an invading hoard? Don’t worry, an institutionalized system of government will save you! • Most importantly, it creates political dedication. It makes the governed more patriotic and they just want to KILL ALL TERRORISTS! THEY MUST DIE! THE STREETS WILL RUN WITH BLOOD! YAH YAH YAH I LOVE MY COUNTRY!!!!!

Chapter 3: War is Peace Now of course, we don’t actually want to WIN these wars. No, no, no. One thing, if you launch a full assault, you might LOSE. Best not fight anyone you could possibly lose to. Second, if your people interact with other societies in a meaningful way, they might begin to identify with them as people. You’ll lose your cultural integrity. Third—and most dangerous—your citizens might begin to recognize that 1) the enemy is much like themselves, 2) conditions within nations are not that different, and 3) each nation has pretty much the same ruling philosophy. This might lead to one of those aforementioned revolts.

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Theory and Practice: Do you believe? That those in power will seek to keep this power until it is forcibly removed? •That those in power will purposely perpetuate a wartime climate despite the loss of state and human capital? That those in power will work to create a populace that is uninformed, disinterested in reform, and ultimately desirous that those in power remain empowered? Orwell blended the political realities of his lifetime with the theories and ideas of Marx and Burnham to create the world of 1984. The question is: To what extent are Orwell’s ideas accurate based on the theories and practices of Oligarchical Collectivism? Please state your rationale.

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